Hydraulic jack for handling rod strings or the like in wells



5 1952 E. A. MORRIS ETAL 68 HYDRAULIC JACK FOR HANDLING ROD STRINGS OR THE LIKE IN WELLS Filed Nav. 26, 1948 3 SheetsSheet l v 5y [064/9 4 /70/P/P/5 P" 3, 1952 E. A. MORRIS ETAL 2,592,168

HYDRAULIC JACK FOR HANDLING'ROD STRINGS OR THE LIKE IN WELLS Filed Nov. 26, 1948 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTORS J. .3. {ma/v 4. Map/W5 1 [066? 4 WO/FP/S I? TTO/P/VZEYS Ap 1952 E. A. MQR ETAL 2,592,168

HYDRAULIC JACK HANDLING ROD STRINGS OR TH KE IN WELLS Filed Nov. 26, 1948 w 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 m Tu I I I n Patented Apr. 8, 1952 UITD res are? QFFICE Edwin A. Morris, Hutchinson, and Edgar A. Morris, Fredonia, Kans.

Application November 26, 1948, Serial No. 62,188

5 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in welloperating equipment and more particularly to hydraulically operated hanger jacks designed to speed and simplify the setting of oil field sucker rod type pumps or the like.

An object of the invention is to provide a device of this character useful to anchor and carry the sucker rod string used on pumping wells in production. Such a rod string consists of sucker rods screwed together which operate the pump at the bottom of the well. vention is useful in raising and lowering the rod string to jar or bump the valve at the bottom of the well to clear the balls thereof when they become stuck because of clogging mud, paraffin, sand or cavings at the bottom of the well. The upper valve of the rod string which is secured to the lowermost of the sucker rods may be raised and quickly lowered by the jack of this invention to jar or strike the lower valve in the well until the ball of the lower valve is loosened of the clogging materials and thus again to permit appropriate flow from the well.

Another object of the invention is to provide a hanger jack useful to put a well back into pro- .duction in the event of a broken beam, broken hanger or of slippage of the rod string through the rod clamp. In such event, after replacement of the broken part, the hydraulic hanger jack of this invention is utilized to jack the rod string back into place.

The hanger jack device of this invention is also useful to provide movement of the rod string to cut paralfin from the well tubing by agitation of the rodstring, such agitation cutting the parafiin loose from the well tubing walls and permitting it to be forced or pumped from the tubing and thus cleaning the well.

The hanger jack device of this invention also is useful to recondition the well after the latter has been serviced by a pulling or other wellservicing unit, 1. e. for replacement of broken rods. In such event, when the well is back in normal operation, the load may have increased the total length of the rod string to cause its bottom end to pound or strike the well bottom. If this occurs, the jack of this invention can be utilized quickly to raise the rod string enough to eliminate the pounding and permit satisfactory functioning of the well. The same jack, also, is useful when the pumping stroke of the well is to 'be'changed and when a brake is-not available on the power wheel of the walking beam. The jack in such instance is used to raise the rod string and then hold it by a clamp to remove tension from the walking beam.

The jack of this in-' Other objects 'of this invention are to provide a'hydraulically operated jack block ofthe character described useful with other well-pumping and drilling equipment presently extant, which is readliy accessible for use and which may be conveniently manipulated, and which may be cheaply and easily constructed. I

In general, the hydraulic jack of this invention is adapted to be suspended by rope or wire'cables from the horses'head of the walking beam and the rod string in turn is suspendedfromthejack block by use of a cross head movable "relativeto the block by use of hydraulic pressure in cooperation with appropriate clamps or flanges'on the uppermost of the sucker rods'in the rod string. The stroke of the cross head is comparatively short, being of 'the'order of six inches, but by appropriate upward or downward movement of this cross head under hydraulic power supplied to or released from the piston cylinder in the jack block, sufficient upward or downward movement may be given to the rod string to 'eifect the desired results mentioned "herein.

Other objects and novel features'of the invention will become apparent from the following description and accompanying drawings wherein Fig. 1 is a perspective view'of a hydraulically operable jack embodying the invention;

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section of the jack'taken along line 2-2 of Fig. 1, viewed in the direction of the arrows;

Fig. 3 is a transverse section taken along line 3-3 of Fig. 2, and viewed in the direction of the arrows;

Fig. 4 is an elevational view of the jack'block suspendedby cable from the horses head'o f the walking beam in position of use -showing the "rod string in one position relative to the said jack during use of the device;

Fig. 5 is'a rear elevation of the device of Fig. 1 on a reduced scale with the cross arm in its lowermost position, and

Figs. 6 and 7 are fragmentary sections'on an enlarged scale taken respectively along lines 6-8 and '!--'l of Fig. 5 viewed in the direction'of the arrows. V

Referring to the drawing, the .jackblock l-llhas substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape. A pair of suspending knobs ll, l2 attached "to and preferably integral with the block "Ill are offset laterally from opposite side faces "of the block l0. These knobs ll, I2 are grooved'at l3, I4 to receive suspension cables ['5 of wire or rope and preferably are positioned relative to the center of gravity of the block l0 so that the latter will hang vertically from the cables [5 3 when suspended thereon. Other appropriate suspending arrangements may be provided for the block H).

A pair of spaced-apart parallel, longitudinally extending bores l1, l8 (Fig. 2) are provided in the block I0. At the upper open ends, the bores l1 and I8 are enlarged and internally threaded at |9, 20. Cylinder casing placement nuts 2|, 22 are respectively threadedly engaged with the threaded portions |9 and 20. Reduced threaded portions 23, 24 extend upwardly of the nuts 2|, 22 above the top face of the block l0. Annular internally extending flanges 25, 26 are provided in the bores of the nuts 2|, 22 to define receiving recesses 21, 28 to fit the upper ends of cylinder casings 29, 30 and also, receiving recesses 3|, 32 above the flanges 25, 26 for packing P. The cylinder casings 29, 30 extend downwardly through the length of the respective bores l1, l8 and the recesses 21, 28 whose diameters are coextensive with the outer diameters of respective cylinder casings 29, 30 are eccentrically located relative to the axes of bores l1, l8 so that the said casings 29, 30 are positioned eccentrically in the said larger diametered bores I1, |8 with the outer casing walls in contact each respectively with respective longitudinally extending ribs 33, 34 in the respective bores |1, |8. The contrasting faces of these ribs 33, 34 are contoured to fit the curved contacting outer surfaces of said cylinder casings 29, 30.

The lower ends of cylinder casings 29, 30 project outwardly of the lower ends of respective bores |1, I8 and fit snugly into recesses 35, 36

provided in a bottom cylinder head 38 which latter is secured to the bottom face of block H! in leak-proof manner by bolts 39. Pistons 49, 4|

are provided for movement in the respective cylinder casings 29, 30. These pistons 40, 4| are each longer than the cylinder 29 or 30 into which it fits and extend outwardly of the top the upper ends of cylinder casings 29, 30 without, however, preventing longitudinal movement of these pistons 40, 4| in their respective cylinder casings. The cross head 42 has recesses 41, 48 to receive the nuts 45, 46 in its under face and thereby permit the cross head 42 to be lowered into contact with the top face of block l when the pistons 40, 4| are in their lowermost positions as seen in Fig. 5.

The bottom cylinder head 38 has cavities 50, |concentric with and underlying recesses 35, 36. These cavities 50, 5| have smaller diameter than recesses 35, 36 and are interconnected by pressure-fluid admitting conduit grooves 52, 53 in the head 38. Additional pressure-fluid bleed conduit grooves 54, 55 are provided in the surface of cylinder head 38. These latter bleed conduit grooves 54, 55 are positioned to open into the spaces defined between the respective bores |1, |8 of the block I0 and the respective cylinder casings 29, 30 therein for purposes to be described.

The junction of pressure-fluid admitting conduit grooves 52, 53 and a junction of the bleed conduit grooves 54, 55 are interconnected by conduit grooves 56, 51 between which a valve seat 58 is provided for seating a bleed control means in the form of a pet-cock valve 59 which is threadedly engaged in a bore 5911. (Figs. 5 and 6) in the block l0 and accessible through a recess 60 in the rear face of the block ID. The two bleed conduit grooves 54, 55 are connected to a com mon drain outlet conduit 6| (Fig. '1 The conduit groove 51 communicates with a valve chamber 62 in head 38 (Fig. 3) and the latter in turn communicates with the inlet opening 63 in the head 38 which mates with a passageway 64 in block l0. Passageway 64 may be connected to the pressure side of a fluid pump (not shown) located in an appropriate recess 65 provided in the back face of block H) or else the pressure line from such a pump may be connected to said passageway 64. A spring-biased ball valve 66 (Fig. 3) in valve chamber 62 acts to admit pressure fluid from the pump through inlet 63 while precluding back flow through said inlet 63. The bleed outlet 6| is connected via a mating passageway 68 (Fig. 7) either directly to the bleed side of the pump or to a bleed line connected to the appropriate side of an externally located pump.

A deep vertical longitudinally extending recess or groove 10 (Figs. 1 and 2) is provided on the front face of block ID in a position lying between the two bores l1, l8 and similarly positioned and shaped recesses or grooves 1|, 12 are provided respectively in the cross head 42 and in the bottom cylinder head 38, these grooves 10, 1| and 12 being alined. These alined grooves function to receive the rod string R (Fig. 4). A clamp block 15 extending into groove 10 attached to a clamp plate 16 which in turn may be tightened to the front face of the block as by bolts 11 may act, depending upon the extent of tightening, either to slidably guide the rod string R in groove 10 or else to clamp the rod string R in said groove 10 in a fixed position relative to the jack block I0 as desired.

In using the device under usual conditions, the petcock 59 is seated on its seat 58 in head 38 to close off flow to groove 56 and the bleed conduits 54, 55. The pump is then operated to force pressure fluid via inlets 64, 63, past valve 66 and via pressure-fluid admitting conduit grooves 51, 52 and 53 to the cavities 50 and 5| underlying pistons 49, 4| to move the latter vertically upwardly in their respective cylinders 29, 30 and thus to lift cross arm 42 vertically away from block H) a desired amount. Since one-way valve 66 prevents return flow of the pressure fluid to the pump, the pistons 40, 4| will be maintained in elevated positions by the pressure fluid delivered to the cylinder casings 29, 30 via admitting eonduit grooves 52, 53 and the extent of elevation will depend upon the quantity of fluid present in said casings, below the bottom ends of said pistons 40, 4|. Preferably, the pistons 40,'4| are elevated to a point intermediate their uppermost and lowermost positions by the pumping or admission of sufficient pressure fluid to the cylinder casings 29, 30. Then, cables |5 from the horse's head H of the walking beam (not shown) are looped around the grooves |3, M of the knobs ll, l2 of the block In to suspend the latter with the rod string R lying in grooves 10, 1| and 12 and with the flange F of the uppermost sucker rod of the rod string R in contact with the upper surface of the cross arm 42. Clamp block 15 and clamp plate 16 are then applied to the block [0 in groove 10 and bolts 11 tightened to hold plate 16 in place without, however, restricting possible longitudinal sliding motion of the rod string R relative to block I 0 in groove 10.

Oscillating motion .of .the walking beam in usual manner now can proceed to provide the usual reciprocal motion to the rod string 'R to wfieot desired pumping. If, during the course of suchpumping, .the .valves atxthe bottom of the .-well .become stuck because of .cloggingof the nature .hereinbefore .described, it is a simple :matter.to;provide fornecessarybumping or jarringzof thelower valveinthe .well. This. is done ibyzfirst lowering therodstring to its lowest point in the well, which may be done by using the beam of the pumping rig. The rod string is then clamped by use of a rod clamp on top of the wellhead. The top or main rod clamp above the block is then moved upwards the desired length and then reclamped securely to the rod string. The lower clamp is then removed and the rod string is allowed to slip through the block until it rests on top of the block. Bumping or jarring is then obtained by moving the beam up and down by use of the rig motor. After reciprocating the rod string in the well sufiiciently to bump or jar the lower valve parts, the rod string is replaced to its former or any necessary pumping position by raising the rod string, using the hydraulic hanger jack, to the desired position and then reclamping the clamp on the well-head. Fluid under the piston 40-4l is then allowed to drain using the conduit grooves 52, 53, 51 and 56 by opening the pet cook 59. The cross arm 42 then comes to rest on the main block 10. The top rod clamp is then lowered back to its former or desired position and reclamped. If the valves have been unclogged using the method described, the well is ready to be put back into production. If not, the process may be repeated.

The use of this jack in the suspension of the rod string from the horses head of the walking beam, makes it unnecessary to reorient the suspension each time clogging trouble occurs and provides quick, easy means to eliminate clogging as often as it occurs in a simple effective manner.

If, after a well has broken down and has been reconditioned and a replaced broken part leaves the rod string R too long for proper pumping, the rod string R can be clamped temporarily against movement relative to the block ID in groove by appropriate tightening of the clamping block and a flanged string clamp applied to the uppermost sucker rod to engage the upper surface of the cross arm -42 in place of flange F. Then, the clamping block 15 may again be loosened sufliciently to permit sliding motion of the rod string R in groove 10. The adjusted position of the flanged rod string clamp acts instead of flange F and renders it possible to elevate the rod string R relative to block I0 by supply of pressure fluid to the piston cylinders l1, l8 and thus to shorten the rod string effectively relative to the well bottom to its desired working length therein.

Moreover, simple manipulation of the jack in the manner described renders it possible to use the latter for others of the purposes set forth at the outset of this specification, namely, to out parafiin from well tubing, to recondition a serviced well, to change the stroke of the well and for other purposes as will be apparent to those skilled in the art.

It will be noted that when the pet'cock 59 is unseated to bleed pressure fluid from the cylinder casings 29, 30 the fact that bleed passages 54, 55 open into the air space defined by the inner walls of bores l1, l8 and the outer walls of casings 29, 30, provides a cushioning effect as '-well as eliminating vacuum effects that-might preclude free bleed-flow.

-While a-speciflcembodiment of the-invention has been disclosed, variations in structural detail within the-scope of the claims is possible and is contemplated. There is no:intention,.therefore, of limitation'tothe exact details shown and described.

What is claimed is:

1. A hydraulically'operate'd hanger jack of the character described ;:comprising .a .block, suspender means attached to saidiblock,;said block having longitudinally extending open-ended bores, cylinder casings in said bores, retaining means at upper ends of said bores for positioning the upper ends of said casings in said bores, pistons movable in said casings and outwardly thereof through the upper ends of said casings, sealing means around said pistons at said upper ends of said casings to prevent leakage of pressure fluid thereat, a cross arm secured to said pistons externally of said block and movable toward and away from the latter with outward and inward movements of said pistons, a bottom cylinder head for sealing the lower ends of said bores and casings against leakage of pressure fluid, said head having pressure fluid conduits for delivering pressure fluid to said cylinder casings, one-way valve means for admitting pressure fluid to said conduits, said head having pressure fluid bleed conduits for bleeding pressure fluid from said cylinders, and pet-cock means for closing off and opening said bleed conduits at will 2. A device as per claim 1 in which said block, cross arm and bottom cylinder heads have alined guide grooves to receive a rod string or the like, and in which retaining means for maintaining said rod string in said grooves is adjustably secured to said block.

3. A device as per claim 1 in which said bottom cylinder head has a valve seat in said bleed conduit means, and said pet-cock is carried in said block and movable onto and away from said valve seat.

4. A device as per claim 1 in which said block has a passageway communicating with said pressure fluid admitting conduit means and a recess into which a fluid pressure pump may be received for pumping pressure fluid therefrom through said passageway into said pressure fluid admitting conduit means and in which said oneway valve is positioned within said bottom c linder head in a recess provided therein communicating both with said passageway and said pressure fluid admitting conduit means.

5. A hydraulically operated hanger jack device of the character described comprising a block, suspender means attached to said block, said block having parallel bores therein extending vertically thereof when said block is suspended, cylinder casings extending parallel with the bores, positioning means for eccentrically supporting said casings in said bores, pistons movable in said casings, a cross arm secured to said pistons outwardly of said block and movable vertically toward and away from the latter, means for closing said bores and cylinders at their ends remote from said cross arm, means for closing said bores at their other ends, pressure fluid admitting conduit means for admitting pressure fluid to said cylinder casings for moving said pistons outwardly of said cylinder casings, one-way valve means in said conduit means for retaining in said cylinder casings pressure fluid admitted thereto, bleed conduit means for the admitted pressure fluid in said casings, and pet-cock means in said bleed conduit means operable at will to release pressure fluid from said cylinder casing via said bleed conduit means.

EDWIN A. MORRIS.

EDGAR A. MORRIS.

REFERENCES CITED Number UNITED STATES PATENTS Name Date Breymann Aug. 13,1889 Thrift Aug. 5, 1919 Leonard Oct. 5, 1920 Wilson Nov. 29, 1921 Nevill Nov. 13, 1923 Hall Aug. 16, 1938 Wineman Oct. 14, 1941 

